New York City

Protesters gather in Times Square, Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in New York, after President Trump declared a ban on transgender troops serving anywhere in the U.S. military. Trump’s announcement caught the Pentagon flat-footed and unable to explain what it called Trump’s “guidance.” His proclamation, on Twitter rather than via any formal announcement, drew bipartisan denunciations and threw currently serving transgender soldiers into limbo. (Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP)

Protesting Trump’s military transgender ban

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Wednesday in New York City, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco to protest President Donald Trump‘s ban on transgender service members in the military.

The protests came just hours after Trump announced the ban on Twitter.

“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military,” tweeted the president, who said on the campaign trail that he supported the rights of LGBTQ Americans. “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.”

The president did not specify what the ban would mean for currently serving transgender soldiers. (GMA)